Post-hole digger.



PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

-W. J. WALL. POST HOLE DIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19,1906.

WILLIAM J. WALL, OF DEL RIO, TEXAS. POST-HOLE ISIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed May 19, 1906. Serial 110.317,?06.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMJ WALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Del Rio, in the county of Valverde and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post I-Iole Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved implement for excavating the holes required for fence-posts or for similar purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is extremely simple in construction and which is so designed as to be employed to the best advantage for the several operations of loosening, removing, and replacing earth.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, showing the spade as locked at right angles to the handle-bar. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the implement in a similar position, a portion of the handle being broken away; and Fig. 3 is a rear view with the spade in proper position for digging.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the spade or digging portion of the implement and comprises, essentially, the head 2 and the blade 3, secured to the head and formed with an open side, as shown. In the present instance the head has an approximately U shape and the blade is formed of sheet material, having the upper edge thereof riveted or otherwise secured to a flange extending around the sides and curved end of the head. The handlebar 4 has its lower end pivotally connected to the spade, and for this purpose an eye 5 is formed upon the head 2, preferably adjacent the curved end thereof, and a strip of sheet material 6, having its ends secured to opposite sides of the handle, is passed through the eye. In order to hold the spade 1 in a fixed position with relation to the handle-bar 4, a rod 7 is employed, which extends along the handle-bar and has its lower end loosely con nected to a bolt 8, passing through opposite sides of the blade 3. It will thus be understood that by moving the adjusting-rod 7 up and down with relation to the handle-bar 4 the spade 1 can be thrown at any desired angle. The upper end of the rod 7 is pivotally connectedto a lever 9, which is in turn connected to the handle-bar 4. This lever comprises two spaced strips of metal secured to opposite sides of the rod'and handle-bar and connected at their extremities by the handle 10. By swinging the lever 9 either up or down the rod 7 is given a longitudinal movement and the spade 1 swung around upon its connection with the handle-bar. A handle 11 is located at the upper end of the handle-bar 4 and is supported by means of a bracket or brace member 12. When the implement is used for loosening the earth, the lever 9 is pushed downwardly and the spade 1 thereby caused to assume the general direction of the handle-bar 4. Should it be desired to remove the loosened dirt from the hole, the spade is first placed in position, as when digging, and the handle 10 then pulled upwardly, so as to cause the blade 3 to lie at approximately right angles to the handle-bar 1. By this operation the loosened dirt is scooped up into the spade and can be readily removed by raising the implement.

A latch is provided for locking the spade in a fixed position with relation to the handlebar, and this latch consists, essentially, of a latch-bar 13, which is loosely connected to the adjusting-rod 7 by means of an eye or staple 14 and which is provided with notches 15, adapted to engage with a hook member 16 upon the handle-bar 4. I The shank of the hook member 16 passes loosely through the handlebar and is connected to a spring member 17, which tends to pull the hook against the handle-bar. In the present instance the latch-bar is provided with three notches 15, which are so located as to lock the spade 1 either in the proper position for digging or for handling the loosened dirt. When the spring 17 is pushed inwardly, the hook is forced away from the handle-bar, so that any one of the notches 15 in the latchbar 13 can be brought into engagement with the shank of the hook member 16. Upon releasing the spring 17 the hook member is drawn inwardly and engages with the latchbar in such a manner as to prevent the notches 15 from becoming disconnected from the shank.

In the specific construction of the handlebar 4 and rod 7 it will be observed that their upper extremities are capped by strips of reinforcing material 18, and the lower end of the rod is formed with the diverging extensions 19, which are pivotally connected to the bolt or pin 8.

When operating upon soft earth, the implement can be employed for digging when the blade is locked in such a position that it has the same general direction as the handlebar and can also be employed for removing the dirt, as has been described. Where it is necessary, however, to loosen the dirt with a crowbar, the implement will still be found useful for removing the dirt. When it is desired to replace the earth within the hole, this can be readily accomplished by setting the spade at the proper angle and locking it in position by means of the latch-bar 13.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a handle-bar, a blade pivotally connected to one end of the handlebar and adjustable with relation thereto, an operating-rod loosely connected to the blade and extending along the handle-bar, an operating-lever fulcrumed upon the handlebar and loosely connected to the operating rod, whereby the latter can be moved to adjust the blade, and a latch-bar fitting between the handle-bar and the operating-rod and being loosely connected to one of the members and detachably connected to the opposite member whereby the blade can be locked in a fixed position.

2-. In a device of the character described, the combination of a handle-bar, a blade pivotally connected to one end of the handle-bar ,and adjustable with relation thereto, an operating-rod loosely connected to the blade and extending along the handle-bar, an operating-lever fulcrumed upon the handle-bar and adapted to move the operatingrod to regulate the angle of the blade, a laterally-extending handle projecting from the handle-bar, and a latch-bar having one end loosely connected to the operating rod, while the opposite end is adjustably connected to the handle-bar.

3. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination of a handle-bar, a blade pivotally connected to one end of the handlebar and adjustable with relation thereto, an operating-rod extending along the handlebar and having one end loosely connected to the blade whereby the latter can be adjusted with relation to the handle-bar, a latch-bar provided with notches and loosely connected to the operating-rod, and a hook member secured to the handle-bar and having a detachable engagement with the notches upon the latch-bar whereby the operating-rod can be locked in a fixed position.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a handle -bar, a spade loosely connected to one end of the handlebar and adapted to be adjusted with relation thereto, an adjusting-rod extending along the handle-bar and loosely connected to the spade, an operating-lever fulcrumed upon the handle-bar and connected to the operatingrod, a latch-bar loosely connected to the operating-rod, and provided with a plurality of notches, and a hook member u on the handlebar adapted to engage wit any one of the notchesto lock the spade in a fixed position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a handle-bar, a spade loosely connected to one end of the handle bar, an operating-rod extending along the handle bar and loosely connected to the spade whereby the latter can be adjusted with relation to the handlebar, an operating-lever fulcrumed upon the handle-bar and loosely connected to the operating-rod, a latch-bar loosely connected to the o cratingrod and provided with a plurality o notches, a hook member upon the handle-bar, the shank of which is adapted to engage with any one of the notches in the latch-bar to lockthe spade in a fixed position, and a spring causing the hook member to engage with the latch member so as to prevent the notches from being disengaged from the shank of the hook member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. WALL.

Witnesses:

T. B. OVERSTREET, A. M. OVERSTREET. 

